Waisake Vakaloloma Temo, 23, of Roselands, guilty of having $1750 in his undies after dial-a-dealer cocaine deal

A labourer was found with a wad of cash wedged in his undies just after a ‘dial-a-dealer’ drug deal on the northern beaches. See what happened in court.

Waisake Vakaloloma Temo, 23, of Roselands, outside Manly Local Court where he was convicted, and sentenced on Thursday for dealing with the property proceeds of crime. Police found $1750 in cash shoved down the front of his underpants soon after spotting a drug deal in Manly. Picture: Manly Daily

A labourer was found with $1750 shoved down the front of his undies moments after police spotted a Saturday night “dial-a-dealer” cocaine purchase on the northern beaches.

As the bills spilt over the waistband onto the ground during the stripsearch, Waisake Vakaloloma Temo, 23, said it was just his cash-in-hand wages from a local scaffolding job.

Temo, a father of one child, with another on the way, from Roselands, who had pleaded not guilty to one count of deal with the property proceeds of crime, was convicted in Manly Local Court on Thursday.

At a hearing on July 31, Manly court heard that two officers from the Proactive Crime Squad had seen a man get into a car, driven by Temo, that had stopped on Victoria Pde, Manly, at 8.20pm on October 22 last year.

Waisake Vakaloloma Temo, 23, of Roselands, leaving Manly Local Court on July 31. Picture: Manly Daily

The police, who were targeting “dial-a-dealer” drug suppliers, saw the man in the car for between 30 and 60 seconds, before he left the vehicle and walked towards East Esplanade. He was stopped by an officer, who found him with three bags of cocaine.

The man, who gave evidence at the hearing, told police that he bought the drugs from the occupants of the car for a total of $900. The man said he showed officers a text message on the phone about the organised drug deal.

The court was told that as well as the $1750 in Temo’s underwear, police found $530 in the car’s centre console and $150 wedged between the handbrake and the driver’s seat.

In the witness box, Temo denied allegations that he sold the cocaine to the man who had entered the vehicle and denied being a drug dealer.

Police did not find any cocaine on Temo or in the car.

Temo was convicted in Manly Local Court on Thursday and put on a 15-month good behaviour bond and ordered to do 60 hours of community service. (AAP IMAGE / MONIQUE HARMER)

Temo said the money in his underpants was “cash in hand” he had earned as a labourer that he had picked up from his boss at a building site at Mona Vale.

Temp said he hid the money when police approached because he was worried that it would be confiscated.

On July 31, Magistrate Louise McManus found the offence proven.

Ms McManus said there was evidence it was an “organised drug deal”.

“In my view, it’s an overwhelming case of proceeds of crime,” she said on July 31.

On Thursday, Ms McManus convicted Temo and handed him a 15-month Community Correction Order to be good behaviour. He also has to do 60 hours of community service.

She advised Temo to make a “change of direction in your life”.

The magistrate said Temo was headed to jail in the future if “you don’t take it seriously”.